Richard Boock: Getting back on the front foot

The good news regarding the New Zealand team these days is that the worst appears to be over - at least in the short term.

Say what you like about their form against the Aussies and their near-miss against Sri Lanka in Napier, but there's little doubt that New Zealand found out more about themselves this season than they did in the previous five.

Not since the dark days of 2000-01, when Stephen Fleming's Invalids were almost euthanased by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, have New Zealand been carried to such depths over the course of the season.

Five consecutive test losses against Australia were accompanied by a towelling in the one-dayers and the eventual axeing of players such as Craig McMillan and Mathew Sinclair - as the selectors desperately tried to find solutions.

Complicated by an alarming injury list, New Zealand's much-awaited season lurched from one calamity to another, striking rock-bottom when the test side were rolled for 131 on a road of a pitch at Christchurch, and lost by nine wickets.

Yet, as difficult as the season was to bear, it was interesting to watch how some of the New Zealand players responded to the intense pressure and lifted themselves for the challenge, earmarking themselves as internationals for the future.

Yes, there were disappointments and setbacks aplenty, but there were also some important gains in the developmental field as each New Zealand cricketer was weighed, measured and assessed against the best.

Hamish Marshall proved a revelation, the sort of batsman who seemed to thrive on the pressure; his twin James showed promise, and opening batsman Craig Cumming was steady without quite being able to establish himself.

Another encouraging sign was the strong comebacks from a handful of New Zealand players who took their chances against a backdrop of injury and form-loss, further boosting the talent pool at the disposal of the selectors.

From paceman Chris Martin, to swing-bowler James Franklin; from off-spinner Paul Wiseman to batsman Lou Vincent, there were several reasons for optimism when the season finally ended this week, after the 1-0 series win over Sri Lanka.

Martin bounced back after an innocuous year to end the season as the team's spearhead, Wiseman looked far more confident with bat and ball, Franklin took 21 wickets for the summer, and Vincent ended an impressive year with a double century at the Basin.

So what, you say - they were still hammered beyond recognition by Australia, and were lucky to escape from the first test against Sri Lanka with a draw.

Fair enough, but don't be surprised if New Zealand rise Phoenix-like out of the ashes to make an immediate impact on the spring tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa, and in the subsequent home series against Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

How so? Well, try this out for a 15-man squad: Stephen Fleming (captain), James Marshall, Craig Cumming, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, James Franklin, Paul Wiseman, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin.

Once the injury list has been shortened, the competition for places in the squad - let alone the playing XI - is going to become far more intense, with several prominent names and most emerging players likely to miss the cut.

Of course this will not make the scenes this summer any more palatable, but it at least gives us hope for later in the year.

Touch wood.